N.C. NAACP:
?
Expedite the release
of Smith and Sharpe
Barber
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XT r r?
OI 11MUTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE
The case of Kalvin
Michael Smith has been on
the minds of concerned cit
izens for nearly two
decades. Smith was con
victed of the assault of Jill
Marker at the Silk Plant
Forest store. Smith has
maintained his innocence
throughout and there is
overwhelming evidence to
support his claims.
On Sunday, July 31,
4.1
mere was a
Pilgrimage for
Justice for Smith
and Dontae
Sharpe held at
Union Baptist
Church. The
event Was held
to bring more
awareness to the
cases along with
putting more
pressure on Gov.
Dr.* ~.
i oi mvviuij' anu n.v.
Attorney General Roy
Cooper.
The N.C. NAACP pre
sented a letter that will be
sent to McCrory to renew
its "call on your office to
do justice in the cases of
Dontae Sharpe and Kalvin
Michael Smith, two men
who have spent over half
their lives imprisoned
unjustly."
Kalvin Smith is serving
up to 29 years in prison,
charged with the December
1995 brutal assault in
Winston - Salem of an
assistant store manager,
even though there was no
physical evidence connect
ing him with the crime.
Witnesses placed Smith on
the other side of town at the
time, and subsequent
investigations, including
by a retired FBI agent, note
that the Winston-Salem
Police Dept.'s original
investigation was shoddy
at best.
, Cooper, however, has
refused to join with
Smith's attorneys to ask for
a new trial. Cooper and
McCrory are running for
governor of North Carolina
this year; Cooper as a
Democrat and McCrory as
a Republican.
Dontae Sharpe has
been serving a life sentence
since 1994 for a murder
during a drug buy
in Greenville.
Sharpe was
reportedly offered
a plea deal by the
Pitt County dis
trict attorney for
time served, but
turned it down,
saying that he
could not accept it
for a crime that he
lid not commit.
ine uuKe university
Wrongful Convictions
Clinic is working on
Sharpe's case.
Rev. Dr. William J.
Barber II, N.C. NAACP
Conference president,
called for action from the
state leaders to expedite the
release of Smith and
Sharpe. He stated they will
not allow these cases to be
used in anyone's campaign
for re-election because in
reality people should "stop
campaigning and just do
the right thing."
Barber laid out the
defense claims for Smith in
four points:
?There was no physical
evidence at the scene link
ing Smith to the crime.
?Smith passed a police
administered polygraph. ?
?There was an alterna
tive prime suspect who lied
about knowing the victim
that was never pursued by
police. This suspect also
failed a police adminis
tered polygraph and left
town after being ques
tioned by police.
?There was also an
independent review of the
case by former FBI assis
tant director Chris
Swecker, who concluded
"no credible evidence"exists
showing Smith was even at
the scene.
Smith's father,
Augustus E. Dark was in
attendance and was grate
ful for the support of the
community and others
toward the release of his
son.
"Any time you see peo
ple stand up for what's
right its always encourag
ing," said Dark. "A lot of
these people I have been
working with for years and
every time we have a pro
gram it's emotional and
uplifting. My son would
give anything in the world
to be here and cannot wait
to get out of prison to carry
on the same legacy Darryl
Hunt put forward. I want
him to get out so we can
get busy helping others so
this won't happen to any
one else ever again."
Bishop Todd L. Fulton
and Pastor Alvin Carlisle
of the Ministers
Conference of Winston
Salem were also in atten
dance to show their support
for Smith. Fulton stated,
"If there is no evidence to
prove he is guilty, then he
must be innocent."
Carlisle added, "We at
the conference feel the case
of Kalvin Michael Smith
has proven to be a very
faulty case. It exposes
some impropriety by local
law enforcement. We
believe his case is one of
the worst and more egre
gious travesties of justice
we have ever seen. We will
continue to stand and fight
with him until we see him
home."
There was a similar
meeting for Sharpe held in
Greenville on July 30. The
two cases mirror one
another with the lack of
evidence and shaky wit
ness testimony.
Terrance Hawkins,
associate pastor of
Winston-Salem First
Church, said, "Hopefully
this meeting raised the
public consciousness. I
think unfortunately people
are not aware of this type
of issue happening in their
own backyard so I hope
this press conference and
social media campaign will
help folks know this is hap
pening. Hopefully it will
galvanize the community
to try and lift their voice
and see justice done."
According to Caitlin
Swain, attorney with the
Duke innocence project,
the N.C. NAACP delivered
two letters the week of
Easter to the governor and
attorney general and have
yet to receive a response
publicly. She went on to
say that the attorney gener
al's office did state there
was a problem with our
criminal justice system and
they are listening to the
N.C. NAACP.
"I think these events
call to the public's attention
and to all elected political
officials attention, the
urgency of these causes
and that politics should not
get in the way of doing
what is right," Swain
added.
There also were volun
teers from the college com
munity as well. Students
and former students from
Winston-Salem State
University and Wake
Forest University came out
to give their support.
Hayden Abene, with N.C.
Students Against Wrongful
Convictions, said they
want the elected officials to
know they are watching
their actions involving
these cases and they will be
held accountable. Alexa
King added that it's the
vote that matters and that is
what will change these pol
itics.
As Gregory Hunter of
Winston-Salem put it,
"This could be one of my
family members. We have
to understand that even
though it's not happening
directly to us, we have to
stand for injustice every
where."
Photo* by Timothy Ramse>
The audience on Sunday, July 31, at Union Baptist Church listens as the facts
of the case are laid out as to whv Kalvin Michael Smith should be freed.
free
MUTAE SHAVE
ttoivm SMITH
Fnrwnrd To*r?fw,
"o'One step Bk k
N.C. Students Against Wrongful Conviction mem
bers are shown, from left to"right: Bailey Stinson,
Hayden Abene and Alexa King.
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